


baby take off your cool

by killsometime



Category: GOT7
Genre: Cute, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Tattoo Artist Bambam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 08:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17957462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killsometime/pseuds/killsometime
Summary: "Wait so... let me get this straight." Jackson says flatly. "You're getting a full sleeve because you think the tattoo artist is cute?""Well, technically yes." Mark replies. Jackson's eyes roll back into his head."Oh my god." Jackson groans."I wanted a sleeve anyways!" Mark protests. "It's a coincidence!"





	baby take off your cool

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jibootyjimin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jibootyjimin/gifts).



> PROMPT: cute pining, fluff, cute boys in love, 
> 
> The title of this fic is taken from the song of the same name by Norah Jones and Andre 3000. 
> 
> Remember -- always go to a good tattoo artist!

Mark almost trips and twists his ankle coming into the tattoo shop. Perhaps he should've taken that as a warning sign, he thinks later.

"Watch your step. It's bad." The receptionist -- a tall slim boy with floppy hair -- says idly, not even looking up from his phone. "Are you here for an appointment?"

"Yeah, uh, I'm here for a tattoo consultation with Bambam?" Mark says, shifting his weight to the other foot.

"Cool. One second." The receptionist says. "Bambam! Your client is here!" He hollers into the shop.

"Coming!" Someone yells back. The receptionist turns around.

"He'll be right here." He says. Mark nods as if he didn't just overhear the whole loud conversation.

Suddenly someone comes bounding up from the back of the shop. It's possibly the prettiest boy Mark has ever seen, and he knows Jinyoung. This boy is all long legs and full lips. His face is symmetrical and striking. He looks like he could be a model in his black skinny jeans, pointy boots, and fitted tee shirt. 

_Oh_ , Mark thinks, he's in trouble now. He's going to have to try not to be constantly distracted while he's getting tattooed. 

"Hello! Mark right?" The boy asks and Mark nods. "Bambam."

"Hi." Mark says, his voice going lower than usual.

"Let's have a seat and go over what you were thinking about!" Bambam says and leads him over to two chairs in the waiting room. His legs bump against Mark's as they sit down. "So. What is it that you're looking to get?"

"I want roses along my upper left arm." Mark says. "I was thinking just blackwork."

"Very nice. I've done a lot of work like that." Bambam says nodding. "Do you have any reference images?"

Mark pulls out his phone and shows Bambam the type of roses he was imagining.

"So... do you just want roses? Or do you want other things sprinkled in there?"

"Uh, like what?" Mark asks.

"We could do birds, or other flowers or plants? Whatever you wanted really."

"Birds might look cool." Mark says, and Bambam's face lights up.

"I'll draw up some mockups for you!" Bambam says excitedly. "Do you want to book now?"

"Yeah." Mark says, feeling a smile come across his own face at Bambam's infectious excitement.

"Okay! Well, when are you free?" Bambam asks, and Mark has to pretend that his heart didn't flutter just at that question.

\--

On the day of Mark's appointment, he finds Bambam waiting for him, looking even more beautiful than Mark remembered. He's practically bouncing on his heels and Mark smiles almost unconsciously. Bambam seems to have that effect on him.

"You didn't trip this time." Bambam greets.

"No. No falling." Mark says.

"A shame." Bambam says, eyes crinkled with how widely he's smiling. "Come on, let's get started!"

Mark is excited for today. Bambam had sent him a mockup of a gorgeous floral piece with vines and birds intertwined into the roses. Mark had stalked tattoo artists on Instagram and chose Bambam based on his beautiful work, but knowing that Bambam is beautiful too just makes him more excited.

Bambam eyes him carefully as he takes his shirt off, undoubtedly already eyeing up the skin. His gaze lingers on Mark's stomach too. Mark feels a pang of self-consciousness.

He watches Bambam carefully clean the area and lay out the stencil, standing back and staring at it to make sure the placement is perfect.

Then the needles hits his skin. Mark has always liked the pain of getting tattooed -- the way it transforms into something numb and a little bit good, in a strange way.

Bambam has a light hand, he doesn't grind the ink into Mark's skin the same way other artists have.

Best of all, Bambam chatters away easily, and Mark finds himself talking back. He's usually more of the quiet type when he's getting tattooed, but Bambam is easy to talk to. He talks about his dog, and Bambam tells him about his four cats. Mark talks about his parents in California and Bambam talks about his family in Thailand. They talk about their favourite movies, and favourite music, and quickly run into some similarities.

"This would look awesome as part of a sleeve." Bambam says, dabbing away the ink.

"I've never thought about a sleeve." Mark confesses.

"You have nice arms. For it. If you ever decided to do it." Bambam says, and then coughs.

"Oh, really?" Mark asks.

"Yeah. Soft skin." Bambam replies quickly and coughs again.

"What could I put in my sleeve?" Mark asks.

"Anything you wanted." Bambam replies. "I think a birdcage would be beautiful. Maybe some other kinds of flowers."

"That would be pretty cool." Mark agrees. He can visualize it already. "Do you do sleeves?"

"Of course!" Bambam answers right away. He goes on to tell Mark about a clockwork sleeve he's working on, and an underwater scene.

Three hours later, Mark has a gorgeous floral piece on his upper arm. He's just about to pay when a thought strikes him -- he's never going to see Bambam after this. And really, his arm looks pretty empty.

"Can you do a sleeve?" Mark blurts out before he can even stop himself. "On me?" Bambam blinks once, then again. Then a slow smile comes across his face.

"I'd love to." Bambam replies. "Let's have a look at my calendar."

They book in for six weeks from the current date. Mark always has Mondays off work, so it works well for him.

\--

"Wait so... let me get this straight." Jackson says flatly later that night. "You're getting a full sleeve because you think the tattoo artist is cute?"

"Well, technically yes." Mark replies. Jackson's eyes roll back into his head.

"Oh my god." Jackson groans.

"I wanted a sleeve anyways!" Mark protests. "It's a coincidence!"

"I hate you." Jackson says, standing up quickly. "Oh my god."

\--

"Mark! Hey!" Mark hears as soon as he walks in the door of the tattoo shop. Bambam is waiting for him at the front desk.

"Hey!" He replies, trying not to sound too excited. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" Bambam says back. "Come on in, I'm excited to get the outlining started!"

They'd planned out over email what Mark wanted on the rest of his arm but he had left most of it up to Bambam. Mark is quickly finding that they click together. Bambam seems to understand exactly what Mark wants.

This time, Bambam and Mark wind up talking about their worst fears and their childhoods. Mark comes out of his appointment with half his outline done and a fluttery feeling in his stomach. When he'd make Bambam laugh, his nose would scrunch up and Mark felt himself falling a little deeper into the crush he's found himself in.

\--

Each time Mark goes in for a tattoo appointment his crush gets worse. He finds out what Bambam wants out of the future. He finds out about Bambam's friends. He tells Bambam about his goals, about his own crazy friends. It feels like they're in their own bubble when he's getting tattooed, like the rest of the world just fades out.

\--

  
"What? No initials for your girlfriend?" Bambam asks one session, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh. No girlfriend." Mark replies. "No boyfriend either." He adds. Bambam sucks in a breath.

"Oh. Good to know." Bambam says in a lighthearted tone.

\--

Bambam is sitting closer than usual to Mark to tattoo his shoulder, and this close Mark can smell Bambam's cologne.

"Are you doing okay?" Bambam asks, looking up from underneath his eyelashes. Mark swallows hastily.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm uh. I'm great." Mark blathers, and then he realizes that Bambam is asking about the tattoo. "Er. A little painful but."

"Sorry. I just have to finish shading these bits and then we'll be done." Bambam says reassuringly, and squeezes Mark's other shoulder. Mark resists the urge to curl into Bambam's touch.

  
\--

The elbow is a painful place to get tattooed. Logically, Mark knew this beforehand but this knowledge does nothing for the excruciating pain that he's in as Bambam starts to fill in the flowers even just approaching the elbow.

"Are you okay?" Bambam asks. "Your muscles are spasming."

"I'm good." Mark grits out. "Just... tender."

"I know. This area is rough. Just let me know when you need a break." Bambam says, patting Mark's knee. Mark flinches, this time not at the pain, but from Bambam's touch. "I'm sorry." Bambam says quickly.

"No! It's not you... It's me. Sorry."

"Oof. If that isn't the first time I've heard that before." Bambam says, and even though he's trying to joke, there's clearly some pain underneath his words.

"Bad breakup?" Mark asks.

"You could say that." Bambam says. "But. It's in the past. I'm single and I'm always looking for cute boys."

This time Mark's heart is the muscle that spasms.

\--

  
It's oddly tender to have Bambam holding his wrist and tattooing his forearm, Mark thinks. He wants to feel Bambam's careful fingers wrapped in his own. He wants to wrap Bambam up in his arms. He wants to kiss Bambam. He... he's in love with Bambam, if he's being honest, and they aren't even together.

\--

Mark dreads the day of his last appointment. It's been almost eight months since he met Bambam for the first time.

"Last session." Bambam says when Mark comes in. "Let's have some fun!"

Mark watches Bambam finish up the final shading, the last little details that tie the whole piece together. It's beautiful, Mark thinks.

"That's it." Bambam says. "You're done."

"It looks amazing." Mark says.

"Here. Let me just take a few photos for my Instagram." Bambam says. "Oh, maybe a video to show how the art wraps."

"Go ahead." Mark says, heart thudding in his chest. He lets Bambam position his arm exactly to show off the tattoo.

"All the comments are going to be about how good you look." Bam jokes as he snaps one more picture.

"Is that why you never post any photos of yourself?" Mark asks before he can stop himself. "Because everyone will get distracted?" He'd meant for it to come out as a joke but it reveals more of his true feelings than he'd anticipated.

"By what?" Bambam asks, snorting.

"By how ridiculously beautiful you are." Mark says, and he hears Bambam suck in a breath.

"Mark..."

"Bam?" Mark asks. "Will you... go out with me?" Bambam's face glows with a smile.

"I thought you'd never ask." Bambam says dramatically. "We've been flirting for months now and I'm just trying to get you to kiss me."

"You... you've been flirting with me?" Mark asks, feeling his eyes bug out. "Wait -- you want to kiss-"

He's cut off by a perfect pair of lips on his and he can't do anything but kiss back.


End file.
